₦airaland Forum

Men are my weakness! Dolly Parton is rumoured to have had countless lovers in her 45-year marriage, but she says no one compares to her husband

For a very long while now, I've quietly observed that a lot of people - students of all cadre, workers, teachers, professionals, artisans etc, etc - wrongly write names that have 'ae' in them as 'ea'.

Let me explain what I mean. Take the name, Michael for instance. This is the correct spelling - 'a' before 'e'. However, 9 out of every 10 persons will end up writing it as Micheal. This is totally wrong! And thew same goes for Rachael and Israel which are also wrongly written as Racheal and Isreal!

But surprisingly words and names that contain 'ea' (letter e before a in consecutive sequence) are always written correctly and are hardly ever spelt/written the other way round. Examples include beans, Sean, Sea, Dean, Peanuts, beast etc, etc

Why then is the error always with Michael, Rachael and Israel? Does it have to do with the keyboard and placing of the alphabets or what?

Please, if you have answers to this 'mystery' kindly share it for us to learn.

Thank you.

A 13-year-old boy who killed his half-sister, practicing wrestling moves on her, will spend three years in a secure juvenile facility.

Armstrong Desvallons was sentenced Tuesday after admitting that he threw his body and elbow into 5-year-old Viloude Louis' chest about 20 times in June, when he was supposed to be babysitting her, according to The Times-Picayune. He was practicing moves like the "John Cena Slam" and the "Mark Henry Slam," named for wrestlers from World Wrestling Entertainment -- but there were no fake moves here.

Louis suffered broken ribs, internal bleeding and liver lacerations from the beating, which occurred at their Terrytown, LA., home, the New York Daily News reports.

Desvallons pleaded guilty last month and is expected to undergo treatment for grief, trauma and anger in a juvenile facility. He originally faced a sentence of up to five years, AL.com reports. He could potentially be released sooner than three years, depending on his progress in treatment.

On Tuesday, members of the church where Desvallons' family worshiped offered to take the boy into probationary custody, but Judge Andrea Price Janzen declined. The church members described Desvallons as a good kid, while Louis' stepfather reportedly called him disrespectful and argued that he'd do it again given the chance.

From The Times-Picayune

Nonso23: It's simple. The greatest invention by man is language (oral communication) . A close second are the signs and symbols used to put down languages in writing. Without these i dare to say mankind would still be in the dark ages...

I think language is a natural phenomenon from God Himself.

We are talking our human creations / human inventions here. Things that human beings used their minds and hands to create. I don't think any human being has been credited with creating any language to date.

Since the time God created the world and man, and gave man the great commission ‘’Go ye into the world and dominate’’, man has tried to conquer his environment over the ages with various types of invention.

Can you ever imagine life without the invention of television, radio, telephone, biros, pens, paper, shoes, soaps, bicycles, drugs, Plaster of Paris (POP), clothes, cooking stoves, electric cookers, iron, washing machines, computers, internet, ipads, aeroplanes, helicopter, air conditioners, ATMs, GSMs, cars, trains, ships etc. The list is in fact endless………………..

We should not also forget the invention of education, the need to be educated and specialise in different fields of endeavour.

So, I just got myself thinking, which can we truly say is the greatest of all these human inventions? Which has impacted human life the most? Besides the natural creation of air and water, is there any one human creation that we cannot survive without, just like air & water?

For me, I think it’s electricity because without the invention of electricity, nearly 90% (if not 100%) of all the other inventions would not have been possible.

So, what do you think? Or do you agree with me that Alessandro Volta's electricity is the greatest?

Which of all these great inventions by man is the greatest in your opinion and why?

Simply amazing or what do you think?

[quote author=Tolexander]there are gods but there is a God!

Where there are many men standing, there will always be an outstanding man!

The winner takes it all
The loser standing small
Beside the victory
That's her destiny


Tolexander, why are U plagiarising
the lyrics of the greatest music quarter in history, ABBA, without giving them due honours?

Or, you thought nobody will notice??

NEW YORK -- Fussing with her skirt and flubbing her shots, Serena Williams was troubled in the U.S. Open final by the swirling breeze and the strong play of Victoria Azarenka.

After one early miss, Williams declared, "I can't play in this wind." After blowing a big lead and dropping the second set, Williams chucked her racket toward the sideline, and it bounced back onto the court.

In the end, Williams pulled herself together, as she usually does when it matters the most. Facing her only test of the past two weeks, the No. 1-seeded Williams overcame No. 2 Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-1 on Sunday for a fifth championship at Flushing Meadows and second in a row.




ACE™ Brand Pressure Point of the Match: It simply must be Serena's second championship point, which she arrived after twice failing to serve out the match in the second set. It was not the prettiest point in a match full of impressive rallies, but Williams could not have cared less after such a difficult path to victory.

Williams raised her Grand Slam singles title count to 17, the sixth-most in history and one shy of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Williams collected a $3.6 million prize, including a $1 million bonus for producing the best results during the North American summer hard-court circuit leading up to the U.S. Open.

"She's a champion, and she knows how to repeat that. She knows what it takes to get there. I know that feeling, too. And when two people who want that feeling so bad meet, it's like a clash," Azarenka said, pounding her fists together.

Helped by nine aces, one at 126 mph, Williams improved to 67-4 with a career-high nine titles in 2013. Since a first-round exit at the 2012 French Open, she is 98-5 with 14 titles, winning four of the past six Grand Slam tournaments.

"Vika's such a great opponent, such a great fighter," said Williams, who turns 32 on Sept. 26, "and that's why she's been able to win multiple Grand Slams. That's why it was never over until match point."

Yes, this one did not come easily, even though it appeared to be nearly over when Williams went ahead by two breaks at 4-1 in the second set. Williams served for the match at 5-4 and 6-5 -- only to have the gutsy Azarenka break each time.

Still, Williams regrouped and regained control.

"In the third set, Serena really found a way to calm down and restart from zero and quickly erase what happened," said Williams' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.

This was a rematch of last year's final, also won by Williams in three sets, and two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka provided another challenge with her big swings off both wings.

"It is a tough loss, but to be in the final and play against the best player -- who deserves to win today -- it's incredible," said Azarenka, who is from Belarus. "I gave it all today. We showed our hearts. We fought hard."

Four times, Azarenka was only two points from taking the opening set. At one such moment, with Williams serving at deuce after a double-fault, she was called for a foot fault, erasing what would have been a 121 mph ace. There was another foot-fault call in the second set, too. They brought back memories of the American's loss to Kim Clijsters in the 2009 semifinals, when Williams was docked a point, and later fined, for a tirade against a line judge over a foot-fault call.

There was no such outburst directed at officials this time, although there was that racket toss. After the call in the match's 10th game, Williams simply put a hand to her face, composed herself, and won the point with a down-the-line backhand she celebrated with a fist pump, some foot stomping and a yell of "Come on!"

Williams wound up holding there with a 104 mph ace, part of what seemed to be a match-altering stretch. She won five consecutive games and 16 of 18 points to take the first set and go up a break in the second.

"You could see she clicked," Mouratoglou said. "She realized she was not aggressive enough. She was letting Vika dictate too much, and all of a sudden, things completely changed."

Well, at least for a while.

Williams' lead grew to 4-1 in the second set, before Azarenka made things competitive again, which shouldn't surprise anyone. Azarenka is responsible for two of Williams' four losses this season. Entering Sunday, Azarenka was 31-1 on hard courts this season, and showed why for portions of the final, playing far better than she had in her preceding six matches in New York.

"From the first point," Azarenka said, "the tension, the battle, the determination -- it was ... kind of like boiling the water or something."

But she simply could not keep pace with Williams, who eventually adjusted to her opponent and the wind that topped 15 mph. Williams put aside her issues to finish with a 36-17 edge in winners.

At the outset, though, the wind clearly bothered her as much as Azarenka did.

"It wasn't pleasant," Azarenka said, referring to the gusts.

Williams caught service tosses. She grabbed at her skirt to keep it from flying up. And, most importantly, she was thrown off by balls that danced oddly. Six of the first 16 points ended with unforced errors by Williams, which allowed Azarenka to go ahead 2-1.

Looking hesitant at times, Williams did not show the same dominance she had while dropping only 16 games during six straight-set victories through the semifinals. And after Williams did go ahead, Azarenka made things interesting with a hard-hitting comeback.

The first time Williams served for the championship, at 5-4, Azarenka hit a cross-court forehand winner for break point, then forced a backhand long. Williams came right back to break for a 6-5 edge. Given a second chance to serve it out, she double-faulted to get broken for the fourth time.

A year ago, they played the first three-set women's final in New York since 1995. And they went the distance again, a total of 2 hours, 45 minutes, because Azarenka was superior in the tiebreaker.

When it came time to close the deal yet again, Williams shined. She has six of the eight winners in the third set, forced Azarenka into 15 miscues, and soon enough, was hopping up and down after finishing with a service winner. Williams kept pumping her fist afterward, even while sipping from a water bottle.

Azarenka faltered late, the way she did when losing the last four games in the 2012 final. She hit two of her seven double-faults while getting broken to 3-1 in the third set, then could only watch as Williams hit a pair of aces in the next game.

"She really made it happen," Azarenka said. "In that particular moment, she was tougher today. She was more consistent, and she deserved to win."

No. 1-seeded Novak Djokovic faces No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the men's final Monday. It's the first time since 1996 that both U.S. Open singles finals are 1-vs.-2 matchups.

On Sunday, with former President Bill Clinton among the announced crowd of 23,584 in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Williams' older sister Venus in a front-row seat, the fans were mostly cheering for the American.

"I definitely felt the love," Williams said, "so thank you all so much for the support."

She equaled Steffi Graf with five U.S. Open titles, one behind Evert's record of six in the Open era, which began in 1968. Williams never had won two consecutive U.S. Opens, but now she has, adding to the trophies she earned in New York in 1999 -- at age 17 -- then 2002 and 2008.

Those go alongside five from Wimbledon, five from the Australian Open, and two from the French Open, which she won this year.

Williams also became the first woman to surpass $9 million in prize money in a single season, while topping $50 million for her career.

"It's incredible what she's achieving," Azarenka said. "She's playing definitely her best tennis right now. It really shows how focused and how composed and how much she can raise the level."

Honestly, I think it is very offensive and racist!

Who the hell is Caroline Worse[/b]niacki to be throwing a pun at Serena Williams, [b]the female GOAT with a record 16 Grand slam titles and the only woman, living or dead, to achieve a golden grand slam! How about that for starters?!

Caroline Wozniacki, a former World No 1,whose name was changed by the press into [b]Worse[/b]niacki because of her insipid reign as No 1 and repeated failure in winning any Grand Slam title for the past 6 years to date as a result of which she dropped from her No 1 ranking and is now ranked 10th - needs to be put in her place!!

Rory Mcilroy had better call her to order!!!

Nonsense.

John McEnroe Says Rafa Nadal is the Greatest Tennis Player – Living or Dead.


Who's the best men's tennis player of all time? It's a debate in which, unlike in golf or basketball, we've got several legit competitors for the throne playing right this very moment. And John McEnroe, himself one of tennis' immortals, is riding hard for Rafael Nadal.

“This guy is to me, I think you can make an argument right here and now, the greatest player that ever lived,” McEnroe said. “If you look at his record against [Andy] Murray, [Roger] Federer, and [Novak] Djokovic, it’s way better than that. He won the Olympics. He’s got Davis Cups, which Roger doesn’t have. I have always said Roger Federer to me was the greatest player that ever lived, certainly the most beautiful player. But I’m going to tell you right here and now there’s a definite argument, I’m starting to lean toward Rafa.”
Credit to McEnroe, he didn't back down from his best-ever pronouncement even after Nadal's shocking first-round loss to Steve Darcis.

Greatness is an arbitrary measure. Win-loss records are not. Nadal is 20-10 against Federer and 20-15 against Djokovic, but as Larry Brown Sports notes, you could argue that those numbers are skewed because of Nadal's absolute dominance on clay courts. (Were Nadal better on other surfaces, the argument goes, he would have reached more finals against the best of his generation.) From one angle, that deflates the Nadal-is-the-greatest argument, but from another, it only enhances that reputation. (He's 25-5 against Federer and Djokovic on clay, which is astonishing dominance.)
This debate will rage forever; best bet for us is to kick back and enjoy our good fortune.

- By Jay Bustee on Tennis.com

Sergy Stakhovsky uses ''Magic'' on Roger Federer


That, I’m willing to bet, is what millions of tennis fans were thinking as Sergiy Stakhovsky inched closer to an improbable victory over Roger Federer late Wednesday afternoon. Was there really another upset, another freak occurrence, in store for us on this freakiest of days at Wimbledon? Six former No. 1 players had already fallen, and many more had taken their own, equally painful falls on the All England Club’s strangely slippery grass. After all of that, I guess, why shouldn’t Stakhovsky, the 116th-ranked player in the world, hand Federer his first loss before the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam in nine years?

And while we're at it, why shouldn’t this day end with the most inexplicable shot of all? Federer was serving, down 5-6 in the fourth-set tiebreaker. He had just saved a match point by lunging for a stab backhand return and following it with a bullet forehand pass; the combination had brought the crowd to a full roar for the first time all match. One year ago, on this same court, Federer had hit exactly that return when he was two points from defeat to Julien Benneteau. Federer had gone on to win that evening; why would anyone in Centre Court believe that he wasn’t about to do the same thing to Stakhovsky today? Why would anyone expect his next serve, at 5-6, to be anything other than a thundering ace?
This time, though, Federer didn’t hit an ace.

Instead, Stakhovsky returned Federer’s first serve and the two players rallied. Federer, despite his more powerful ground strokes, didn’t press the issue. He had won the vast majority of the baseline points in this match, and he may have thought that the shanky Stakhovsky would hand him an unforced error—there had to be a reason he was ranked No. 116, right? Again, though, what was expected didn’t materialize. The unforced error, a routine backhand that floated pointlessly wide, came from Federer’s racquet instead. The only explanation I can think of for this shot was that it happened on Wednesday, the Day of Carnage. Federer took his place as the seventh former No. 1 to be sent off, and, when it was over, Stakhovsky became the last of his fellow pros to take a tumble on the grass. But he, at least, was feeling no pain.

Stakhovsky reached that unlikely spot on the Centre Court turf by playing old-fashioned, meat and potatoes, serve-and-volley tennis. There was no choice, he said.
“You can’t really keep up with Roger on grass in baseline rallies,” he said. “It’s just impossible. The only tactics I have is press as hard as I can on my serve and come in as much as I can.”
Asked for an explanation for his win, Stakhovsky said, “Magic.” Afterward, the 27-year-old Ukrainian was both articulate and, admittedly, a little spaced out. “I still have no feelings for what I accomplished,” he claimed. “I’m somewhere lost, I’m sorry.”

Lost off the court, Stakhovsky found more than he had ever found before while he was on it. Every serve, he said, every return, every volley was there when he needed it. He came to the net 96 times and won 61 of those points; he hit 72 winners against 17 errors. Even taking into account Wimbledon’s generous scoring system, those are impressive numbers. Especially impressive was Stakhovsky’s down-the-line backhand volley. Time and again, when he needed a point, he caressed that shot into the corner and out of Federer’s reach.

Serve and volley, as we’re reminded every so often, isn’t dead—or, more accurately, it doesn’t have to be dead. What was striking about Stakhovsky’s version today was that there was nothing flashy or fancy or out-of-this-world about it. There were no 130-M.P.H. serves and few jaw-dropping moments of genius. He just played it the way you’re supposed to play it, put himself in position to make the volleys, and made them. Of course, 17 aces, and some really fast hands around the net, didn’t hurt. Stakhovsky was never faster than when he saved a set point with a winning backhand volley at 5-6 in the fourth. Watching Stakhovsky survive the end of that set, it made me think again that one of the great unsung virtues of serve and volley is that it takes the thought, and to an extent the nerves, out of tennis. You serve, you run forward, you react, you go back and do it again.

Not that Stakhovsky didn’t get tight, or realize what he was trying to do out there.
“When you come here,” he said in his unbroken, British-inflected English, “on the cover of the Wimbledon book is Roger Federer. You’re playing the guy and then you’re playing the legend. You’re saying, Am I about to beat him? Is it possible? When I was up a break in the fourth, you think about it: Really, is it happening?”

“He was uncomfortable to play against,” Federer admitted. “It was difficult to get into that rhythm against a player like that. Credit him for closing it out under enormous pressure. He was better in the important moments than I was.”
Stakhovsky said he was lucky that Federer didn’t find his returning rhythm until late in the match; Federer couldn't find a way to break serve until the fourth set. But it’s the last statement by Federer that matters most: He didn’t win the important points.

In fact, Stakhovsky won two more sets in the match, but just one more point, 162 to 161. Big moments and missed opportunities were what bothered Federer the most, because he saw it as part of a trend this season.
Asked if he was surprised that he couldn’t find a way to win, Federer said, “I’m very disappointed in that, that I couldn’t find a way, like I didn’t against Jo-Willy at the French. I thought I had my opportunities, had the foot in the door. When I had the chance, I couldn’t do it. It’s very frustrating, very disappointing. I’m going to accept it and move forward from here. I have no choice.”


Reporters asked him about the end of his 36-Slam quarterfinal streak, but Federer brushed past that quickly. He had the present on his mind. “I guess it’s a great number,” he said. “But moving on from here.” As if to preempt any talk of retirement, Federer said twice that he “plans to play for many years to come.”


More than streaks or records or history, Federer appeared concerned about his play on crucial points recently, points that he’s traditionally won. He even looked, by the middle of the press conference, as if he was already thinking about what he needs to do differently to win them again. That’s a similar dilemma to the one Federer faced, and solved, in late 2011. Maybe that’s one of the few advantages of age: You know there will be dips along the way, but you also know you’ve found your way out of them in the past. Federer said he'll employ "the 24-hour rule," a method he has for not allowing himself to worry about a loss until some time has passed. You don't set a decade-long record for consistency without doing whatever you can to keep a level head. There was frustration and disappointment on Federer’s face tonight, but not despair.

What was on Sergiy Stakhovsky’s face? A disbelieving smile that wouldn’t go away. His moment, at last, had come. Stakhovsky is an intelligent, confident, sometimes wrong-headed and impolitic guy—he’s interesting, and frustrating. He has joined the ATP leadership, because, as he said forcefully tonight, “I think I can change things.” Yet he’s best known as a critic, of equal pay, of the ATP, of tournament facilities, of Federer himself.

Maybe it’s appropriate that on Wedneday, when the world was turned upside down, Stakhovsky showed us his best side. Asked about Federer’s legacy, he said, with near-poetic thoughtfulness, “He’s the biggest name we had and still have, thank God. As a person he showed us that you can be a decent man achieving a lot of things and still be a person everybody admires.”

But Stakhovsky wasn’t so fulsome or worshipful that he couldn’t also say, with a smile that showed he may finally have believed what he had just done:

"Someday I can tell my grandkids, I kicked the butt of Roger Federer.”


As reported by Steve Tignor on Tennis.com / wimbledon live upodates

There certainly will be no end to the Michael Jackson controversy, whether in life or in death.
Even Elvis Priestly, controversy still trails him like a shadow even in death.
These are classic examples od dead people making news and money every day - imagine last year alone, the MJ estate made over $100m in net income!!! Since Michael died 4 years ago, the estate is reported to have made well over $500m!!!

Elvis Priestly who died 36 years ago also continues to make staggering amount of money - his estate is also reported to make an average of $90m per year!!!

Nothing else, but controversy, will forever trail dead people making this kinda of money..........

This is what we call ''DEAD ON ARRIVAL''(DOA)

There are indications that the over 700 workers of the now-rested Air Nigeria who were sacked last year may not secure the 25 per cent of their pension deposits.

This is because they were not issued with disengagement letters and the company which relieved them of their jobs did not communicate to the Pension Commission (PENCOM) that they have been sacked, THISDAY has learnt.
The workers are eligible to receive 25 per cent of their contributions to the scheme after they have remained unemployed six months after their sack, but that hope seems to have been dashed as the workers who lost their jobs when the company closed on September 10, 2012 may not receive the contributions, unless the Chairman of the company, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, intervenes.


One of the workers (name withheld), who has spearheaded the move to secure funds from the PENCOM contributions, told THISDAY that the efforts of the workers to secure the funds were impeded by the fact that they did not provide necessary documentation to show that they were sacked by Air Nigeria.

He said that his pension fund administrator (PFA) and that of many of the workers, IBTC Pensions, refused to honour the workers’ request to deduct 25 per cent from their contributions until they present their letters of disengagement and until the company gets a letter from Air Nigeria confirming that the company had sacked them.


“By regulations, an individual is permitted to access 25 per cent of his savings/contributions with the PFAs after six months of being unemployed. Sadly, some conditions; firstly (possession of a disengagement letter) cannot be met in the case of Air Nigeria as the airline suddenly shut down operations without issuing a disengagement letter to employees. Secondly, the PFA is to write to the company (Air Nigeria) and get a confirmation response that such an individual had been a staff in time past. As the case is, we cannot get a disengagement letter and Air Nigeria doesn't exist anymore to give response to any enquiry,” he said.

According to him, the above fact made it obvious that these “conditions can't be met in any way possible while other requirements are intact, except for these two factors which are not in the power of the unlawfully sacked employees.”
The Chairman of Air Nigeria, Ibrahim, told THISDAY he would not comment on the matter concerning disengagement letter as the workers had taken the company to court, adding that he did not know anything about the workers contributions.

“The second point is that the company terminated them based on their sabotaging activities of the company so we should wait for the court’s ruling which will decide whether they can get the letter,” he said.

The Managing Director of IBTEC Pensions, Demola Sogunle, told THISDAY on Wednesday that the matter concerning the Air Nigeria workers was a regulatory issue because the company cannot act without the workers meeting the criteria set out for them to benefit from their contributions.

“PENCOM is reaching out to the aviation regulatory body, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to put pressure on Air Nigeria to settle this matter. For 25 per cent of their contributions to be obtained the workers must show they were sacked so there must be a sack letter. Such letter will show that the workers did not resign because if you resign under the age of 50 years it indicates you have another job in view so you don’t need the 25 per cent of your contribution,” he said.

Sogunle also argued that Air Nigeria is still a legal entity because it has not been liquidated, not that if it were liquidated the liquidator would issue sack letter to the workers.
“So the sacked workers could be described to be in limbo because if you are retrenched the letter will show you as retrenched. Air Nigeria did not issue a letter.”

This is a painful reality to the workers whose fate even as sacked workers would still be determined by their former employer to obtain part of their savings.

culled from THIS DAY LIVE

I've been thinking, who, living or dead, can we crown as the authentic ''most crazy Nigerian Celebrity''
I did a random sampling of opinions and 3 names came up repeatedly in the following descending order - No 1 was Charly Boy, No 2 - Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and No 3 was Weird MC!!!

I was terribly shocked because I had expected Fela to come tops.

So, my people out there, do you agree that Charly Boy is the most crazy Nigerian celebrity or ..............

Kindly name your choice in your replies. Thanks

If we can celebrate anniversaries of man's first landing on the moon, why not also commemorate the first time Michael Jackson landed on his signature move, the moonwalk? It was 30 years ago, on March 25, 1983, that Jackson shimmied backward across the stage at the Motown 25 taping, a few scant seconds of showmanship that may have marked the critical turning point from his being a superstar to being the superstar of his era.

But if you believe that Jackson invented the moonwalk, you probably also believe that P. Diddy invented the remix.

Trying to determine the exact creator of the moonwalk dance is like trying to pin the invention of rock 'n' roll on one artist. It is, as writer Shanna Freeman has said, "the product of more than 70 years of dance evolution."

Cab Calloway liked to say that he'd been doing pretty much the same moves since the 1930s. The earliest footage that portrays someone doing something nearly identical to Jackson's fancy footwork in 1983 belongs to dancer Bill Bailey.


But if you want to know where Jackson got it from, the historical guesswork can come to an end and the answer can be summed up in one word:

Shalamar.

No, it wasn't Jody Watley who was taking that early '80s soul trio's trips to the moon. It was the group's designated dancer, Jeffrey Daniel--a former "Solid Gold" hoofer who was renowned in the R&B/dance community--who attracted attention what was then referred to as "the backslide" before he taught it to Michael.

And apparently Jackson held the move in the back pocket of his skinny pants for months or years before he decided the Motown special was the place to bust it out.

Naturally, there are some variations that go into the myth-making around what happened at that March 25, 1983 taping. "Everything that you saw him do, he made it up on the spot," Jermaine Jackson has said, a contention that gives Michael far more credit for spontaneous genius than he gave himself.

LaToya's version gives credit where credit is due: "The moonwalk was a dance that the kids were doing on the streets," she's said, "and Michael came along later. And he had a guy by the name of Jeffrey Daniel to teach him to do the moonwalk...and when he did it, everybody saw it and just thought this was the most wonderful thing they had ever seen, not really knowing it was a dance that was already out there."

Michael was a little stingy with the credit in his autobiography, although he was quite open about the fact that his key move at the fateful taping for Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (which aired two months later) was not his own innovation.

"I had been practicing the Moonwalk for some time," he wrote in his 1988 memoir, which tellingly was titled Moonwalker, "and it dawned on me in our kitchen [on the night before the taping] that I would finally do the Moonwalk in public on Motown 25. Now the Moonwalk was already out on the street by this time, but I enhanced it a little when I did it. It was born as a breakdance step, a 'popping' type of thing that black kids had created dancing on the street corners in the ghetto...So I said, 'This is my chance to do it,' and I did it. These three kids taught it to me. They gave me the basics--and I had been doing it a lot in private. I had practiced it together with certain other steps. All I was really sure of was that on the bridge to 'Billie Jean' I was going to walk backward and forward at the same time, like walking on the moon."

The "three kids" to whom Jackson alluded were apparently Daniel and his compatriots, Geron "Casper" Candidate and Derek "Cooly" Jackson. Daniel was a seasoned professional who was actually three years older than Jackson, who was then 24, so you can judge for yourself whether Jackson crediting "kids" was a term of endearment or a deflection meant to bolster his sense of street cred.

Jackson had been a fan of Daniel's. "He used to watch me dance on 'Soul Train," Daniel recalled in a TV interview. "I had no idea back then when I was watching the Jackson Five that they were watching me." In 1980, "Shalamar were doing a run at Disneyland and people were making a fuss about my dancing, so Michael brought little Janet," Daniel recalled in a TV interview. Backstage, they met for the first time, and that began a friendship that led to not only the moonwalk lessons but co-choreography credit for Daniel on the "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal" music videos.

The best existing footage of Daniel doing the moonwalk comes from a 1982 "Top Of The Pops" appearance that wowed England. Daniel does not take credit for inventing the dance, saying it naturally emerged out of the developing popping and locking style, which emphasized sudden halts or pauses in a performance over sheer fluidity of motion.

If you have secretly wondered all these years why the dance was called the moonwalk, but never been able to publicly admit it, rest easy--you're not alone. Jackson may have believed that the illusion of being able to "walk backward and forward at the same time" looked like "walking on the moon," but probably not many other people thought: Aha! Exactly like Neil Armstrong! But the name he coined for it caught on, of course.

"Michael called it the moonwalk," Daniel said, but "actually the moonwalk is another dance." Or was, anyway. "The moonwalk is actually a dance that we do that makes it look like you’re on the moon and it’s less gravity than you would have on earth. Michel somehow called the backslide the moonwalk. And commercially, I think, maybe, it worked," he added, chuckling at the understatement of that remark.

It's not a gravity-defiance thing, per se. "The backslide is actually supposed to be like if you were to be walking forward and suddenly you were on an escalator, and as you’re walking forward, this escalator is now pulling you backwards as you’re continuing to walk forward," Daniel said. "That’s the illusion of the backslide and the moonwalk, that you’re actually walking but the ground is pulling it back, if you can do it with that illusion. If you’re doing it looking like you’re pulling yourself back, like your legs are tugging you back--it’s not supposed to look that way."

But before it was the "backslide," it might have gone by some other names.

In the mid-'80s, shortly after Jackson made it the rage, one of the most legendary black entertainers from the first half of the 20th century, Cab Calloway, was reported to have gone into the move while performing in a Manhattan run of shows. According to a 1985 article in The Crisis: "Asked if his teenaged grandson taught him the move, Calloway said, 'Shoot…we did that back in the ‘30s! Only it was called The Buzz back then.'"

Footage of some of Calloway's astounding footwork from the '30s shows a lot of moves that would definitely count as part of the evolution that led to popping and locking, though not quite anything that would strike a fan of contemporary hip-hop dance as an exact precedent. Other performers of that era also had slippery moves that involved illusions of moving while staying in place, if not the backwards-as-forwards magic of the backslide.

But when you look at Bill Bailey from the '50s, it's pretty much all there. At least that "escalator" illusion that Daniel spoke of is. And he does it for almost 15 seconds in the relevant clip, as opposed to the five or so that Jackson spent moonwalking at Motown 25. But Jackson did add some signature arm and shoulder moves to his version of the dance.

David Bowie also did something akin to the moonwalk in the opening moments of a performance of "Aladdin Sane," and although the term hadn't been coined at the time, he had the added benefit of really seeming like he was from the moon.

Perhaps the oddest thing about Jackson's Motown 25 performance, 30 years later, is that his first reaction at the conclusion of his appearance was to feel insecure about it.

"We first worked with him in 1980, but he did not do the moonwalk publicly until 1983," Daniel remembered in Time magazine after Jackson's death. "And after he did it, he asked, 'How was it?' And I said, 'Why did you wait so long?' He said, 'Well, it still didn't come out right.' I'm like, huh? This is the performance that totally blew everyone away--and he said something didn't come out right. Whatever was going on in his mind, we would never know it. We all know that it was a mind-blowing performance, and it just took him to another level."

In his autobiography, Jackson went into detail about the reasons for his odd dissatisfaction with his Motown 25 performance--which apparently didn't have anything to do with his moonwalk execution.

"I just remember opening my eyes at the end of the thing and seeing this sea of people standing up, applauding," he wrote. "And I felt so many conflicting emotions. I knew I had done my best and felt good, so good. But at the same time I felt disappointed in myself. I had planned to do one really long spin and to stop on my toes, suspended for a moment, but I didn’t stay on my toes as long as I wanted. I did the spin and I landed on one toe. I wanted to just stay there, just freeze there, but it didn’t work quite as I’d planned. When I got backstage, the people back there were congratulating me. I was still disappointed about the spin. I had been concentrating so hard and I’m such a perfectionist. At the same time I knew this was one of the happiest moments of my life."

Although he never forgot that insecurity about his performance of "Billie Jean," he had some good help in getting over it. The day after it aired in May 1983, "Fred Astaire called me on the telephone," Jackson wrote in Moonwalker. "He said--these are his exact words--'You’re a hell of a mover. Man, you really put them on their asses last night...You’re an angry dancer. I’m the same way. I used to do the same thing with my cane.' I had met him once or twice in the past, but this was the first time he had ever called me.

"It was the greatest compliment I had ever received in my life, and the only one I had ever wanted to believe...Later he invited me to his house, and there were more compliments from him until I really blushed. He went over my 'Billie Jean' performance, step by step. The great choreographer Hermes Pan, who had choreographed Fred’s dances in the movies, came over, and I showed them how to Moonwalk."

culled from www.music.yahoo.com by Chris Williams

The name sounds very 419 ish!
That lady needs to watch it o!!!

;DSerena busted: Tennis star Serena Williams may do no wrong on the court, but at the Honda Golf Classic, that’s a completely different story.

On Friday, Serena attempted to take a photo of Tiger Woods but was interrupted by the security at the event. And Serena’s shocked face was not only priceless, but caught on tape.

In the video, which you can watch below, the announcers catch Serena among the throngs of people watching Tiger Woods up close at the Honda Classic. That’s when the commentators begin to gush over Williams, claiming that she’s one of the best tennis players in the world.

Not long after that moment, Serena pulls out her cell phone to snap a photo of Woods. But just as she’s about to snap the photo, a man walks up and puts his hands near or over Serena’s camera, blocking her from taking the picture.

Serena’s face then says it all, as the tennis champion is shocked beyond belief. The commentators seem to have a good laugh about it, too, suggesting that it doesn’t really matter who you are at the Honda Classic, because if you’re caught taking a picture, you will get busted.

Even if you’re Serena Williams. In Naija, we call that star pass star or power pass power!

culled from examiner.com

Mukina2 - Pardon me, but may I ask when you were born?

I'm asking this question because it appears you were 'not around' when Justus Esiri took over from Femi Robinson (Ife Araba)as the new village headmaster in the unbeatatable, most long-running TV drama series in Africa, Village Headmaster. Village headmaster ran from 1969 - 1985 and till date, Village Headmaster unarguably has no equal in any subsequent TV soap operas.

Just for the records.

They are possesed by evil spirits, real demons!!!
They need to be exorcised of thses demons before they can
return to their normal selves.

Unless a man is born-again, he is nothing, but a [b]'sitting duck'
[/b]in the hands of the Devil.

Sad

The truth is she is demon possesed!
She and her types need to go 4 urgent deliverance.

NO BE ORDINARY EYE O!!!

I want to tell Nigerians about my fears on the Super Eagles and they are as follows:



1. I fear we may not beat Mali whether in full time or penalty kicks as Nigeria (Super Eagles) does not have a good record of winning the next match after securing a major, stunning upset. Check the records – complacency, distractions usually set in like a jinx. We can hardly manage ‘big success’’

2. Just like Ivory Coast, we usually let everyone down when an easy victory seems assured. It’s a typical African management syndrome.

3. I fear it’s going to be Nigeria Vs Ghana for the 3rd place match on Saturday, Feb 9, 2013

4. I fear that the Nations Cup has now been reduced to 2 zones of politics – French Vs English speaking countries!

5. I particularly have a sense of foreboding that the officiating (refereeing) of the next match will ‘deliberately’ not favour us. The French Vs English – speaking superiority game may just rear its ugly head again! And let’s remember, CAF is headed by a Franco phone guy!!

6. I fear that English –speaking countries (particularly Nigeria) don’t know how to play politics outside the field of play.

7. I fear that Jonathan has a track record of bad luck when it comes to football as a sport

8. I fear that Nigeria having won the Nations Cup twice and Ghana five times, the ‘hand of providence’ [/b]may just want to favour either Mali or Burkina Faso this time for the cup. No leaf will drop from a tree without God knowing about it.

These are my 8 fears for my darling Super Eagles. [b]How can these fears be overcome? I want to invite every Nairalander to please offer suggestions. Thank you

I am by no means a prophet, no not T.B, Joshua, the football loving seer.

Rather I’m an ordinary 9 – 5 guy who loves Tennis the way Nigerians love football.
Tomorrow, Sunday January 27, 2013 is a big day in the world of Tennis. It is the day when the Australian Open men’s final will be played commencing at 9.30am. As I earlier said, I’m not a prophet but I already know 100% cocksure that Andy Murray, OBE will win the Australian Title tomorrow against the great Serbian and 5-time grand slam winner, Novak Djokovic.

The whole world is in for a surprise tomorrow considering that virtually all betting sites have given the match to Novak. For example, Bet 365, a leading betting site has already given it to Djokovic at 1.50 (2 in 3 odds) while a stake of 2.75 (4 in 11 odds) has been given to Murray! Bookmakers are apparently being deceived by the fact that Novak (‘’Nole’’) is currently the World No 1 and Andy, World No 3.

But because I already know that good, old Andy Murray will win his 2nd consecutive grand slam tomorrow, I have gone ahead to put my hard-earned money where my mouth is. I have against all odds placed a bet of $500 (almost N80,000) on Andy Murray hence latest by 15:00hrs tomorrow I should have earned $500 *(times) 2.75 = $1,375 (about N210,000)!!! A SOLID PROFIT OF ABOUT N130,000.00!!!

BUT HOW ARE MY SO SURE THAT MURRAY WILL WIN TOMORROW?

I don’t intend to bore you by making a thesis of this expose, but it will suffice for me to summarise my reasons as follows:

1. Currently, Andy Murray is the most improved Tennis top 10 player in the world

2. In their run to the Australian open final tomorrow, Andy Murray has had to face tougher opposition than Novak Djokovic. While Andy Murray (world no 3) faced Roger Federer (World No 2 and unarguably the greatest tennis player in history) ) and defeated him overwhelmingly, Novak’s only serious opposition has been David Ferrer (World No 5) who he destroyed in 3 straight sets.

3. However, against Stan Warinka (World No 25), Novak Djokovic Achilles’ heel was exposed as he struggled to win in 5 sets. Infact, the World No 1 player embarrassingly lost the 1st set 6 – 1!!!

4. Ivan Lendl (former world No 1 in the late 80s/90s and now Andy Murray’s coach) has really done a great job on Andy as Andy is now more aggressive, offensive rather than the laid-back, defensive player he used to be.

5. Also, while both Andy and Novak are 25 yrs old, they are however a week apart as Andy was born on May 15, 1987 and Novak, May 22, 1987. Numerology of their birth dates indeed also has a role to play in this: Year 2013 (2 + 0 + 1 + 3 = 6) has a numerology of 6 which coincides perfectly with Andy’s birthday of 15 (1 + 5 = 6)

6. Lastly, there is something of a jinx in going for the same thing the 3rd time. Novak is bidding to win his 3rd consecutive Australian title tomorrow while Andy is bidding to win his 2nd consecutive grand slam title. Novak will be fighting not only against Murray, but also against the 3rd time jinx? Can he overcome both?

Based on the following reasons, I have very safely and reasonable wagered $500 on Andy Murray to win in tomorrow’s Australian open tennis final to reap a windfall of N210,000!!!

PLEASE JOIN ME IN CELEBRATING AHEAD OF TOMORROW IF YOU CARE.

The Australian Open Men's last semi-final match has just been completed after 4hrs 25mins between British No 1 Andy Murray and the aal-time greatest tennis player, Roger Federer.

It will certainly go down in history as one of the greatest classics ever with Andy Murray at his most offensive, potent and dominant form ever. In a most thrilling 5 setter at the Rod Laver arena, Andy Murray left no one in doubt that his eyes are now riveted (more than ever before) on winning his 2nd GS (Grand Slam) as he overwhelmingly overpowered an aging, struggling Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7,6-3,6-7, 6-2.

Murray will now face Novak Djiokovic on Sunday, January 27, 2013 in undoubtedly what will definetely be known as ''THE CLASH OF THE TITANS''
If Andy Murray can retain this overwhelmingly superior form into the Sunday finals, he will certainly overcome Novak (''Nole'')

Meanwhile, congrats to Murray for a well - deserved victory! Though most Tennis buffs out there would have preferred it to be against Nadal.

But let's look at siome funny Tennis mathematics: IF you remove RAY from MURRAY you end up with 'MUR'
Okay, if you remove FE from FEDERER, one will have DERER.
Okay, now add MUR + DERER and you have 'MURDERER' - yes, that's the new nickname for Andy Murray now. BEWARE, ANDY MURRAY, THE DESTROYER OF ROGER FEDERER IS THE NEW MURDERER IN TENNIS!

They are both women of grandeur, power, eloquence and above all raw beauty and fashion sense.
The only difference is perhaps that one is late while the other is alive and well.

But let's narrow it down to beauty, can we use that as a criteria to compare these 2 icons?
Indeed, is there any basis for comparison in the first place?

Comments please!!!

The big questiuon to ask is this: WILL THE SO-CALLED BENTLEY 2014 TAKE HIM TO HEAVEN

I believe this song aptly suits the bridegroom Hugh Hefner:

This rare picture of Obama in a dress rehearsal hunt for Bin Laden is bound to excite a whole lot of people out there.
Enjoy it please.

But didn't Ibori sow in billions and billions and where is he today?
In PRISON ofcourse where he rightfully belongs!
The same goes for Akingbola, Cecilia Ibru and the Ihejiahis.........

Learning point in all of this: No one can bribe God!

In an open letter to the public, John Nnorom, a former Executive Director of Air Nigeria, reminded the nation that the operating licence of the airline, from which he resigned last April, will expire today.

“This brings to an end the legal, operational and technical operations of Air Nigeria,” he said, making this day “The burial ceremony of the second Airline that Bar Jimoh Ibrahim killed in Nigeria after using the Airline to borrow massively from the banking Industry.”
Outlining the various charges and allegations against Mr. Ibrahim, the airline’s proprietor, including fraud and murder, Mr. Nnorom said:
“For Bar Jimoh Ibrahim, to have committed all these crimes and still be walking around the land of Nigeria with Police escort, I do not want to believe that Jimoh is above the law of Nigeria. Jimoh ibrahim may fabricate lies, twist the facts and influence the press as a publisher but the truth will always prevail, no matter how long it takes”.
He pointed out that only last week the ODC, which allowed Mr. Ibrahim access to certain areas of the airport, was withdrawn, the triumph of some Nigerian who fought to achieve that objective. He said that although the proprietor fought them for up to four hours, the gallant Nigerians would not be deterred until they defeated Mr. Jimoh and had the ODC, which he hung around his neck, taken away.
Mr. Nnorom further noted in the letter that yesterday, the staff of FAAN stopped Mr. Ibrahim from removing the computers in all AIR Nigeria office and parked them away on account of the huge debt owed them by Air Nigeria.
“Bar. JIMOH Ibrahim had gone to the AIRPORT to remove those items but FAAN gallant staff resisted him and walked him out of Air Nigeria offices,” the statement said.

“For those that Jimoh owes, do not follow Air Nigeria staff example of going to court,” he advised. “[Instead] collect your money from his property scattered everywhere, Jimoh Ibrahim is now a toothless bull dog. I told him that God will fight this battle for me but Jimoh Ibrahim said that the God of redeem cannot stop him. In the spiritual realm, Bar Jimoh ibrahim is finished.”
He also called on the federal government to prosecute all aviation intervention fund thieves who diverted the Bank of Industry loan to other private business and collapsed the airline in the same way as oil subsidy thieves.

“The Federal Government various intervention fund should not be treated as the sharing of the national cake,” the letter said. “This cheap loan given between 1% to 7% interest rate was not utilized for the purpose that it was created. For Bar Jimoh Ibrahim, it was a cheap loan, which he diverted into his other businesses and closed the airline. Federal Government should prosecute the criminals. This prosecution will stop Nigerians from fraudulent misapplication of Federal Government intervention funds into other ventures.

“The case of Air Nigeria, where Bar Jimoh Ibrahim diverted N47.5billion or $317million, persecuted me so as to stop me from whistle blowing this crime, sacked all air Nigeria staff to frustrate investigations, lost nine aircraft to lessors and diverted N6billion pension fund contributed by staff, forged tax certificate of expatriates and was charged to court for tax evasion of N6Billion is a very good example to test the Federal GOVERNMENT WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION,” Nnorom said.
He further recalled that:

• Air Nigeria took a loan of N35.5Billion from the Federal Government Aviation industry intervention fund, guaranteed by United Bank for Africa, funded by Bank of Industry, and the money was diverted by Bar Jimoh Ibrahim into Nicon Investment Ltd;
• Air Nigeria took Afrixim loan of $40million and it was diverted into the acquisition of Energy Bank of Ghana; and
• Air Nigeria sales proceeds of N6Billion were diverted to Nicon Investment Ltd, a family company 100% owned by Bar Jimoh Ibrahim.
“This is fraud incorporated by one man while many are suffering,” the former Air Nigeria Executive Director said.

“Having diverted all these loans amounting to $317million or N47.5Billion into his Family Company, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim announced suspension of Air Nigeria operations for the next twelve months when he is aware that the AOC of the Airline will expire within 60 days and today is the last day of Air Nigeria, the burial ceremony as the AOC expires today and the [company] shall be out of operational existence.”

He warned that Nigeria is a democracy and the money belongs to the people, saying, “This Government must give us account of how one man can be allowed to pocket such huge sum of money by criminally prosecuting Bar Jimoh Ibrahim under the Federal Government aviation intervention fund thieves. Bar Jimoh Ibrahim must return these loans taken in the name of Air Nigeria amounting to N47.5Billion or $317million, Federal Government should recall back all sacked air Nigeria staff and ask Bar Jimoh Ibrahim to resign as the Chairman of the company. We plead for Federal Government intervention towards the recovery of our wealth stolen from Bar Jimoh Ibrahim.”

On his own part, Mr. Nnorom said that in the effort to ensure that this money which Mr. Ibrahim used to acquire properties in Dubai, Energy Bank of Ghana, Energy Bank of Sao Tome, University of Sao Tome, Newswatch magazine, National Mirror Newspaper, was never recovered, he was persecuted on false allegation of fraud/criminal conversion, but that he has been vindicated.

“I THANK GOD, I HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AND ACQUITTED FROM THAT CRIMINAL ALLEGATION by the instructions of our adorable Inspector General of Police, who sent a special squad from Abuja that investigated the false allegation, found me innocent and withdrew the case file,” he said. “I thank President Jonathan for appointing Abubakar, a great man of high integrity as the Inspector General of Police.

Of those who have lost their lives because at some point they had something to do with Mr. Ibrahim, he cited three cases:

1. Dafe Onojovwo, the former Chairman of National Mirror Editorial Board: “Late Dafe objection to Jimoh Ibrahim, the Publisher and his refusal to endorse the continuous persecution of the undersigned on the pages of national mirror, explained why Jimoh Ibrahim murdered Dafe but claimed that Dafe committed suicide.”

2. “The auditor of Nicon Insurance Plc, was assassinated few months after Jimoh Ibrahim took over the company. To date nobody asked the question what happened? At the time this staff was invited to a meeting to see Jimoh, people were aware. On his way home, he was killed by Jimoh hired assassins. His offence was that he blocked all avenues through which Jimoh wanted to siphon money out of the company. Immediately, this staff was killed, Jimoh started transferring money out of the company. Even, the 30% shares being controlled by Federal Government, for which Nigerians were appointed to represent Federal Government in the board, could not do anything as minority shareholders. To date no board meeting has ever been held in Nicon Insurance Plc.”

3. Miss Onyeka Okeke, a staff of Global Fleet: “When Jimoh saw her beauty for the first time, he immediately promised to marry her; posted her to his office, with regular gift, cash, foreign trips etc she became his mistress. The late Onyeka worked last in Global Fleet Oil and Gas in Lagos and was lodged by Jimoh at Bluehotel in VGC. In the passage of time, she became pregnant and when she refused to abort the baby, Jimoh Killed Late Miss onyeka with an abortion concoction that she was forced to drink at night. While battling for survival, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim used the pillow on her bed to suffocate her. Poor girl from poor family, she has no body to fight for her. Let the human right group fighting on the abuse of woman right support our struggles to uncover this death.”

Nnorom wrote: How long shall we cry for Federal Government intervention, many have been murdered by Bar Jimoh Ibrahim in the course of this struggles. How long shall we suffer this travail for defending our nation with our own resources, many sacked air Nigeria staff are dying, our tears are dried up and we plead for Federal Govt intervention. How can this WICKEDNESS be explained to GOD, that Nigerians who worked in this establishment for the past 20years were all sacked on the pages of newspapers, thrown to the street without their pension contribution?
“Where is the power of protection by the government for the weak Nigerians?”

He reiterated his call for the prosecution of Mr. Ibrahim, whom he said “should be tried for several criminal acts in Nigeria which includes withholding tax evasion of N6Billion by FIRS, pension fund fraud of N9Billion as all Air Nigeria staff sacked by him cannot access one kobo from the pension company, since Jimoh Ibrahim did not remit money deducted from staff salary, PAYE deducted from staff salary amounting to N2Billion not remitted.”

culled from Sahara Reporters, New York

Novak Djokovic put a firm stamp on his position as world number one with a stunning victory over Roger Federer in the ATP World Tour Finals.

The Serb won 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 to add the season-ending title to his Australian Open victory and top ranking.

He needed two hours and 14 minutes to take two sets in a match of dramatic swings in momentum.

It is the second time Djokovic has won the ATP finale, following his triumph in Shanghai four years ago.

"I was just trying to hang in there," said Djokovic.

"It's not the first time that Roger started so well against me. I've experienced before his aggression, really trying to put his mark on the match."

He added: "Whenever I needed to come up with some really good shots - really focus myself and get every ball back in the court - I did that, so I cannot be more thrilled than now."

"Novak Djokovic again showed his resilience. Roger Federer came out firing all cylinders, but Djokovic dug in. It was a fitting match to finish an unbelievable year. It was a fitting shot to finish too, with Djokovic out wide under pressure, finding the way to win the match with a spectacular backhand. The swings in momentum were so difficult to predict, but I think Djokovic deserved the victory. It's fitting reward that he's been able to win the end-of-year championship."

Federer was attempting to become the first man since Ivan Lendl 25 years ago to win a hat-trick of season-ending championships, and his seventh overall.

"Maybe there's a bit of regret because I had the lead twice before him," the 31-year-old admitted in defeat.

"At the end of the day that doesn't matter, you have to get over the finish line in the set and then obviously the match. He was better at that today.

"What he does well - even in defence he stays somewhat offensive. That, I think, is what separates him from the rest a little bit."

Federer has made London's O2 Arena a second home in winning there for the last two years and, as ever, the Swiss did not lack for support.

The atmosphere might not have been cranked up at the start as it was in Sunday's semi-final against Andy Murray, but the Federer fans were in full voice as their man reeled off the first nine points.

Djokovic appeared nervous, fluffing a routine volley and firing long as he slipped, and there were ironic cheers when he finally got on the board in game three.

The winners were flowing from Federer but it was a case of brilliance against resilience as Djokovic dug in and weathered the storm by extending the rallies whenever possible.
Recent champions

2011: Roger Federer
2010: Roger Federer
2009: Nikolay Davydenko
2008: Novak Djokovic
2007: Roger Federer
2006: Roger Federer
2005: David Nalbandian
2004: Roger Federer
2003: Roger Federer
2002: Lleyton Hewitt

Federer netted a forehand to give back the break in game five and the contest came alive.

Djokovic hit a brilliant cross-court forehand winner when tumbling to his right to move 5-4 ahead, but he failed to convert a set point on serve and Federer hit back to level at 5-5.

The heavy blows took a physical toll when Djokovic was knocked off his feet by a Federer effort and needed attention at the changeover, but the hour mark passed and the pair headed to a tie-break.

Djokovic took the initiative in it, but when Federer played a spectacular forehand winner, almost from behind him, he punched the air and brought the O2 crowd to its feet.

The only person apparently unaffected was Djokovic, who moments later clinched the set anyway with a forehand winner after a Federer error.

An eight-minute game at the start of the second set suggested there was still nothing between them, and when Djokovic succumbed on the fourth break point he smacked his racquet in anger on the blue court - another long battle loomed.

Federer resumed his early dominance, and when he saw off a break point at 4-3 with an ace he looked on course to force a decider.

Djokovic had recovered from worse positions against Murray and Juan Martin del Potro in the last week, however, and Federer helped him out when serving for the set at 40-15.

His forehand deserted him and two set points went begging as Djokovic, now peppering the baseline with his returns, reeled off four straight points to level.

Having been on the verge of levelling the match, Federer was now hanging on for dear life.

Djokovic battled through his own service game and a couple more loose shots from Federer, under pressure from the Serb's returns, offered up match point, seemingly from nowhere.

The final point was played out much like the match, with Federer taking control only for Djokovic to come up with the answer - a spectacular backhand down the line on the stretch.

It was a breathtaking shot on which to end the tennis year, and one that summed up why Djokovic remains number one among such star-studded company.

"It's the best way to finish a match, I guess, with a passing shot - one of my favourite shots," he concluded.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/20293161

Good move, but if you look at the 'bigger picture' you can bet your ass that all this silly banks will certainly pass the loss of income to their staff. How? More retrenchment or is it downsizing or right sizing!That is Nigeria for you.